APEC meeting expected to promote trade, investment

BEIJING - China expects the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Russia to promote trade and investment liberalization, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu said Thursday.

The Chinese government hopes the meeting, slated for early September in Vladivostok, will bring results in areas concerning trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, food security, supply chain management and innovation, Ma said.

President Hu Jintao will attend the 20th APEC informal leaders' meeting from September 6 to 9 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

APEC members will release a statement after the meeting advocating integration, innovation and common prosperity, Ma said.

APEC members should work together to make use of APEC's role as an "incubator" and advance regional economic integration, he said.

Assistant Minister of Commerce Yu Jianhua said APEC members need to bear in mind the nature of the APEC, adhere to the principle of consensus, take members' differences into consideration and uphold non-discrimination, openness and tolerance while advancing regional integration.

Yu also called on APEC members to fulfill the Bogor Goals of achieving trade and investment liberalization and facilitation by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing ones.

Yu said differences between members concerning the trade of environmental goods should be taken into account, while their concerns should be accommodated in order to balance trade and development.

In terms of food security, Ma said APEC members are expected to improve food production, develop agricultural technology and work together to safeguard world food security.

He also proposed promoting personnel exchanges, technology cooperation and transfers among APEC members.